How To Reach Non-Followers On Instagram – The Best Way

Introduction

Hey there. I’m in shock. Yes, you heard me right. In shock. I got clients who aren’t my followers, have never commented on a post, and may never even follow me. But they hired me anyway. No, it wasn’t luck. It wasn’t going viral. It was pure strategy. If you want to learn how to reach non-followers on Instagram, read through the entire post.

This is a quiet strategy you can try today. I’ve been using a new Instagram feature quietly designed to help you reach non-followers. And if you’re a service-based business owner, especially someone who is tired of the moods of the algorithm, this is a game-changer. TRIAL REELS.

I’ll walk you through exactly what I did, what Trial Reels are, and how to use them to grow your reach without being salesy or overwhelmed.

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What Are Instagram Trial Reels?

Trial Reels are Instagram’s soft-launch feature for testing your content with a fresh audience. When you upload a trial reel, Instagram pushes it to non-followers only. You can decide later whether to post it to your feed based on how it performs.

It’s a risk-free way to:

• Test content formats
• See what resonates with a cold audience
• Reach people outside your current bubble

Pro Tip – If it flops? No one you know will ever see it. If it works? You’ve just unlocked a new way to get discovered.

Why I Started Using Trial Reels (After Avoiding Instagram)

For nearly a year, I stopped posting on Instagram altogether. The algorithm had changed. The pressure was real. And honestly, I wasn’t seeing the return I wanted — especially for the energy I was putting in.

So I shifted to Pinterest, where content works passively and SEO is the hero. But a small part of me still wondered: What if Instagram could work in a quieter, less draining way?

That’s when I found out about Trial Reels — and decided to try again, just not the way I had before.

How to Use Trial Reels Without Burning Out

If you’re a business owner who doesn’t want to post 1 – 3 reels a day or chase trends, this method is for you.

Here’s how to make Trial Reels work for your brand — even if you’re building slow, and especially if you’re tired of yelling into the void.

1. Repurpose Your Best Reels

Don’t reinvent the wheel.
Look at your 3 top-performing reels (the ones with the highest views, saves, or shares). Re-upload them as trial reels. If your reels have done well with your followers, there are high chances it will do well with your non-followers

Why it works: You’re testing proven content on new audiences without repeating it on your own feed.

Pro Tip: Change the hook text slightly to keep it fresh for Instagram’s algorithm.

2. Experiment Without the Pressure

Try new formats: voiceovers, captions-only, B-roll, quick tips. If you’re not comfortable showing your face, don’t. Test reels that align with your style. Use trending audios with low competition and add “Follow for more” as a simple call-to-action for your non-followers.

Why it works: You remove the fear of judgment since only strangers will see it — not your existing followers.

Pro Tip: If the reel does well with your non-followers, then it will do extremely well with your followers. You can then post it directly on your feed. The views get added up. A win-win situation.

Remember, even if 10 people see your trial reels, they are 10 non followers from your niche because instagram algorithm is trained to get the SEO keywords and show the reel to specific people only.

3. Use Trial Reels Alongside Feed Reels – MY WAY

Here’s what I do. When I make a reel, I duplicate it and keep it in my drafts.

• One version goes to my feed (shown to followers)
• The other goes as a trial reel (shown to non-followers)

It’s two pieces of content, reaching two audiences — with just one creation session. Using Instagram’s Edits app has helped me because the reels are saved easily on that. Remember to save the caption on your notepad because sometimes Instagram forgets to save the caption while saving the reel as draft.

Pro Tip: Keep track of which versions get more engagement. Over time, you’ll know what cold vs. warm audiences prefer.

I prefer making reels this way as views in trial reels = views from my niche audience. And that was how I got my clients last week.

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Why This Matters for Service-Based Business Owners

If you’re like me — a business mentor, having her own service-based business, or a quiet creator building slowly — visibility is still important. But it needs to feel aligned and sustainable.

Trial Reels are:

• Low effort
• Low stress
• High potential for reach

And most importantly, they let your content do the work without needing to be loud, flashy, or always on.

Final Thoughts: Quiet Visibility Is Still Visibility

You don’t need a huge following. Or burning extra fuel to make daily content. To put it simply, you don’t need to burn out.

What you need is to be intentional. Try things that let you stay in your zone of genius while still being seen. Trial Reels might be just the place to start.

Want more content strategy like this? Pinterest is the way to grow your business. My Pinterest Playbook dives deeper into quiet growth strategies that work for entrpreneurs, bloggers, and service-based businesses.

Check it out here → PINTEREST PLAYBOOK

Or sign up for my Tuesday newsletter, where I share honest strategies that helped me build a business from a passion-based side hustle — all without quitting my 9–5 too soon.

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